Spring-grip fasteners are utilized for the rapid mounting upon rods or shafts so as to secure components during high-production operations, such as, for example, the assembly of automobiles and appliances. The use of spring-grip fasteners expedites assembly by securing a member upon a shaft with minimal operator effort at great speed, which enhances economy and productivity.
Varying styles and shapes of spring-grip fasteners are available, and the same include round, rectangular or other geometric shapes. However, the more familiar fasteners comprise are an annulus with a plurality of tangs or flanges projecting toward the annulus center, which flanges are displaced from the plane of their perimeter or border. The fasteners are usually of a spring-type material, which allows deflection of the tangs during mounting upon a shaft and subsequent tendency toward recovery toward the reference position so as to secure the fasteners to the rods. Recovery toward the reference position inhibits fastener removal from the shaft or rod upon which it is mounted due to the fact that the gap or space defined between the tangs tends to be reduced to a value is smaller than the rod diameter as a result of the frictional engagement defined between the rod and the tangs as the rod is attempted to be moved in a withdrawal direction relative to the fastener.
Spring-grip fasteners are usually individually applied by means of a manually-driven tool, which inhibits rapid mounting of multiple grips upon the plurality of shafts, studs or other connectors in large assemblies. The manual-mount limitation to the speed or placement of a spring grip at more than one position inhibits rapid assembly and can lead to variable mounting depths, variable securing pressures characteristic of the spring grip placement, and consequently variation in relative securement of the parts.